Author: Dr Issac PJ

The UAE has achieved another landmark milestone in its pursuit of global competitiveness, advancing to 16th place worldwide in the 2025 Government Support Index, a key indicator in the International Institute for Management Development’s (IMD) World Competitiveness Yearbook.The achievement marks a remarkable leap of 27 places compared to its 43rd position in 2024, reflecting the country’s ongoing drive to strengthen fiscal efficiency and align public spending with sustainable growth goals.The Government Support Index measures the value of government support as a percentage of gross domestic product and serves as a benchmark for the effectiveness of public resource management. It highlights…

Dubai’s villa market has emerged as the standout segment of the emirate’s booming real estate sector, with a sharp surge in prices, intensifying demand, and limited supply pushing homes in prime villa communities into record territory. Latest research shows that villas, long prized for their space, privacy, and lifestyle advantages, now account for just seven per cent of all homes listed for sale in Dubai, underscoring the scarcity that continues to fuel their desirability. According to eXp Dubai, while villas make up only a fraction of the emirate’s overall housing stock, certain neighbourhoods remain heavily weighted towards them, providing focused…

The GCC’s asset management industry has entered a new phase of expansion, reaching $2.2 trillion in assets under management (AuM) in 2024 — a 9 per cent increase from the previous year — according to a new report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG). The strong momentum is being powered by sovereign wealth funds (SWFs), retail mutual fund growth in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and a rapid embrace of digital transformation. The region’s trajectory is unfolding against a backdrop of global market volatility, fee compression, and evolving investor preferences. Yet experts say the GCC has carved out a unique position,…

The Middle East and North Africa’s mergers and acquisitions (M&A) landscape showed remarkable momentum in the first half of 2025, with the UAE and Saudi Arabia continuing to lead the region’s deal value. According to the latest EY Mena M&A Insights report, a total of 425 deals worth $58.7 billion were recorded in H1 2025, marking a 31 per cent increase in volume and a 19 per cent rise in value compared with the same period last year. The UAE and Saudi Arabia together attracted $27.9 billion in investments, reinforcing their status as the twin anchors of the region’s deal-making…

Dubai’s reputation as a premier global destination for multinational corporations, family-owned enterprises, and high-net-worth individuals has accelerated significantly in 2025, underlined by a surge in new entrants and record levels of wealth migration. The Dubai International Chamber announced that it attracted 143 new companies in the first half of the year, including 31 multinational corporations, representing a 138 per cent increase compared to the same period last year. Small and medium-sized enterprises also showed robust growth, with 112 firms joining in the first six months compared to 47 in H1 2024, highlighting the emirate’s ability to appeal to both global…

Kotak Mahindra (International) Limited (KMIL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited, has become the first Indian financial institution to receive approval from the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) of the UAE to conduct investment fund management and portfolio management activities. The licence marks a historic step for both the bank and the UAE’s financial sector, opening new avenues for cross-border investment flows and collaboration between the two economies. Kotak Mahindra, one of India’s most prominent private sector banking and financial services groups, has a long-established reputation for innovation in wealth management and investment banking. Founded in 1985,…

In a resounding affirmation of its global investment magnetism, the UAE has once again reinforced its status as the world’s most effective attractor of foreign direct investment (FDI), relative to its economic size. According to the 2025 Greenfield FDI Performance Index by fDi Intelligence, the UAE topped the list — outperforming 104 other economies — with a remarkable index score of 14.26, meaning it secured more than 14 times the volume of greenfield FDI projects expected for its GDP scale. This outstanding performance placed the UAE ahead of Namibia, Costa Rica and all other economies surveyed. Although project growth was…

Abu Dhabi is pressing ahead with its diversification agenda, as new trade data highlight a remarkable expansion in its non-oil sector. According to the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ADCCI), the emirate issued 10.3 per cent more certificates of origin between June 2024 and June 2025, a clear sign of widening export activity and the growing competitiveness of local industries. Certificates of origin — official documents confirming the national origin of goods — are crucial for exporters, as they allow products to qualify for preferential tariffs and smooth access to international markets under bilateral and multilateral trade agreements.…

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s arrival in Abu Dhabi on 16 August 2015 — the first by an Indian leader to the UAE in 34 years sparked the ignition of one of the world’s most dynamic bilateral relationships. The landmark visit offered a glimpse into how one of the world’s fastest growing major economies would reshape and recalibrate its trade and diplomatic engagements with the rest of the world, setting the stage for a remarkable decade of transformation to emerge as a global economic powerhouse. Today, as India celebrates its 79th year of independence, it stands as the fourth-largest global economy,…

Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa), one of the largest listed integrated utilities in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, has reported a net income of Dh3.7 billion in the first half of 2025, reflecting its continued strength in core utilities and a growing international footprint despite market headwinds. The group recorded a 4.5 per cent year-on-year increase in revenue to Dh28.4 billion in the six months ended 30 June 2025, driven mainly by higher pass-through costs in its Transmission and Distribution segment. Underlying profitability in its utilities business remained robust, although overall results were weighed down by an expected…